Our structure

Secretary

The Secretary has overall responsibility for the management and oversight of NSW Health. The Secretary chairs key management meetings for the system including the NSW Health Senior Executive Forum and the Executive Leadership Team. The NSW Health Senior Executive Forum brings together Chief Executives from across the health system, while the Executive Leadership Team is a smaller group comprising of the NSW Ministry of Health Executive and Chief Executives from the ACI, CEC, HETI and HSS. Both of these groups are critical in considering issues of health system-wide interest, including the NSW Health budget, development and implementation of health policy and monitoring of health system performance.

Office of the Secretary

The Secretary's Policy and Co-ordination Unit provides high-level executive and administrative support to the Secretary across a broad range of issues and functions. The Unit works with the Deputy Secretaries and members of the NSW Health Executive to ensure the Secretary receives advice that is accurate, timely and reflects a cross agency view on critical policy and operational issues.

Internal Audit

Internal Audit provides an independent review and advisory service to the Secretary and the Risk Management and Audit Committee. It provides assurance that the Ministry of Health's financial and operational controls, designed to manage the organisation's risks and achieve the entity's objectives, are operating in an efficient, effective and ethical manner.

Internal Audit assists management in improving the entity's business performance, advises on fraud and corruption risks and internal controls over business functions and processes.

Financial Services and Asset Management

The Finance Branch has the lead role in managing and monitoring the financial performance of the NSW public health system within the ​NSW Health Performance Framework. The Finance Branch is dedicated to delivering its strategic goals; supporting sustainable resource allocation within the NSW public health system to support the delivery of patient care; and supporting health decision makers to make the right financial decision at the right time.

Branches / Centres

Strategy and Resources

The Strategy and Resources Division is responsible to the Secretary for strategic health policy development, delivering better value health care that drives improvements in population health and the patient experience, inter-jurisdictional negotiations, funding strategies including Activity Based ​Management​, system-wide planning of health services including mental health, capital planning and investment, systems integration, setting the strategic direction for maternal, child, youth and paediatric health policy and working across government agencies to respond to many intractable social issues.​

The division also supports the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council, the NSW Health Ministers’ Advisory Committee and the NSW response to matters before the COAG Health Council. ​

Branches / Centres

Population and Public Health

The Population and Public Health Division co-ordinates the strategic direction, planning, monitoring and performance of population health services across the state. The division responds to the public health aspects of major incidents or disasters in NSW, monitors health, identifies trends and evaluates the impact of health services. The division is responsible for improving health through measures that prevent disease and injury. Population health services aim to create social and physical environments that promote health and provide people with accessible information to encourage healthier choices.

Health Protection NSW relates to this division through the coordination of the prevention and control of threats to health from communicable diseases and the environment. Health Protection NSW works with other agencies to maximise immunisation; monitor, investigate and control communicable diseases; maintain safe drinking water; assess the health impacts of contaminated air, water, land and the built environments; regulate public health threats under the Public Health Act; and promote safe behaviours.

Branches / Centres

System Purchasing and Performance

The System Purchasing and Performance Division provides the front end of “system management”, and acts as a critical interface with local health districts, specialty health networks, the pillars and other agencies, such as HealthShare NSW and eHealth to support and monitor overall system performance.

Branches / Centres

People, Culture and Governance

The People, Culture and Governance Division undertakes a range of functions for the effective administration of NSW Health covering comprehensive corporate governance frameworks and policy; regulation of private health care facilities and the supply and administration of therapeutic goods; a comprehensive range of legal and legislative services; oversight and management of the Secretary’s accountabilities as employer of the NSW Health Service, including statewide industrial matters, public health sector employment policy, workplace health and safety policy, workforce planning, recruitment and reform strategies and strategic development of professional nursing and midwifery services; NSW Health property services; statewide asset, procurement and business policy; services to support Ministerial, Parliamentary and Cabinet processes, and public affairs and communication services for the Ministry of Health.